This invention relates to improvements in clips for securing valances to the shells of luggage cases.
In manufacturing luggage cases from molded plastic material, two opposing concave shells, molded from a suitable plastic material as is well known, have attached thereto metal frames or valances which extend around their peripheral edges. The valances, which finish and protect the edges of the shells, are generally formed by extruding or casting a lightweight metal, such as aluminum or magnesium alloys. When extruded, the strips are cut to size and bent to fit around the peripheral edges of the shells. The edge of the shell fits within a channel formed between inner and outer flanges of the valance. The outer flange protects the edge of the shell. The inner flange provides a convenient surface for the attachment of hinges and other hardware.
A problem in the attachment of valances to shells is the tendency of the shell to slip out of the valance unless firmly attached. One common way of attaching the valance is with rivets extending through the shell and the inner flange. To provide the required anchorage, the inner flange must ordinarily be made wider, which creates a problem in bending the valances to fit around the shell since there is a tendency of the inner flange to buckle. Furthermore, corresponding rivet holes must be either positioned in the shell and the valance when they are fabricated or drilled during assembly. This complicates the manufacture and assembly of luggage cases, and requires that the valance be designed for particular shell configurations.
An alternative method of attaching valances to shells uses spaced clips which fit between the edge of the shell and the valance. As disclosed, for example, in Bedford, U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,438, May 17, l966, a J-shaped clip fits over the edge of a shell. The short leg of the clip includes serrations for biting into the outer surface of the shell. The longer inner leg of the clip includes a downwardly depending lip which engages a slot or a groove in the inner leg of a valance to hold the valance on the shell. The valance is formed with the slots or grooves in the desired locations of the clips.